Software documentation, essential for explaining the functionality and usage of software, has significantly evolved from static PDFs and text files to interactive, user-friendly formats. However, producing high-quality documentation remains a time-consuming challenge for developers. Han Wang and Hahnbee Lee, both developers and entrepreneurs, understand this struggle firsthand.
“In the 2010s, companies like Stripe, Twilio, and HashiCorp set a new standard for developer content,” said Wang. “They showed that delivering an excellent developer experience through documentation is not just a necessity but a competitive advantage. Since then, companies have been playing catch-up, but creating and maintaining documentation is harder than it looks.”
Driven by a desire to simplify their own documentation workflows, Wang and Lee co-founded Mintlify, a suite of tools designed to streamline the process of creating and updating software documentation. Mintlify’s core offerings include tools that automatically generate documentation directly from codebases.
“In the 2020s, documentation expectations have risen again,” Wang added. “This time, it’s not just about user interface improvements, but about how developers are engaging with content—thanks to AI.”
A Vision Fueled by AI
Wang and Lee met at Cornell University, where Lee pursued a degree in computer science while Wang studied information science. During his time as a student, Wang founded two companies—FoodFul, a platform for livestock monitoring, and People, a tool for building customer communities. After People was acquired by Bettermode, Wang remained for a few months before transitioning to Bain Capital Ventures.
In 2021, Wang left Bain to pursue the idea of Mintlify with Lee. They secured seed funding from Bain, along with support from Sourcegraph co-founder Quinn Slack and others. The aim was to build a comprehensive platform that assists developers in writing API references, SDK documentation, guides, and even chatbots to explain software products.
Mintlify offers pre-built components and templates for document formatting and integrates with codebases to make documentation part of the development lifecycle. Additionally, it routinely checks for outdated information and provides insights on how users engage with the content, suggesting ways to improve clarity and readability.
Addressing Criticism
While Mintlify’s AI-powered automation features are impressive, some users have raised concerns. Tim Anderson, an early tester from DevClass, pointed out that Mintlify occasionally adds redundant or inaccurate comments to code, even repeating incorrect information in documentation. Others note that the platform sometimes struggles with disorganized or poorly structured code.
Wang acknowledges the limitations but emphasizes the platform’s potential. “AI isn’t perfect, but it’s evolving rapidly,” he said. “Our goal is to enhance the documentation experience, not to replace human writers entirely. AI helps automate content creation based on code changes and user feedback, but human oversight is essential.”
Expanding Horizons
Mintlify isn’t alone in its mission to transform software documentation. Competitors like Guidde, which uses AI to generate software documentation videos, and Documatic, which creates changelogs and explanations from code, are also vying for attention in this space.
However, Mintlify’s traction speaks volumes. With a client list boasting companies like Anthropic, Perplexity, Cursor, Zapier, Polymarket, and Fidelity, the platform reaches over 1.5 million developers monthly. In total, Mintlify has onboarded around 3,000 brands.
Wang hinted at several upcoming features that will differentiate Mintlify further from competitors. “Every documentation needs an AI-powered chat component to answer questions in real-time. But it’s going to get even deeper. Documentation will soon power not just support and chatbots but AI models themselves. Our vision is that content will be personalized for every user, offering tailored insights.”
New Funding and Future Plans
To accelerate their vision, Mintlify recently closed an $18.5 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Bain and Y Combinator also participating. This brings Mintlify’s total funding to $21.7 million. Andreessen Horowitz general partner Jennifer Li will join Mintlify’s board as part of the deal.
Although Wang declined to provide specific revenue or profitability figures, he noted that the new funds will be used to expand Mintlify’s team, currently numbering 11, and continue product development.
“We’ve always focused on being lean and efficient,” Wang said. “While we didn’t need to raise funds, we saw it as a strategic move to fuel further growth.”
With fresh capital and an ambitious roadmap, Mintlify is poised to shape the future of software documentation—making it faster, smarter, and more user-friendly.
